Chapter 18

During the eight years I'd been with Internal Security there were, on average, six annual meetings with either the Senate or House sub-committees. Forty-eight meetings total, give or take, not counting the two joint sessions; once a year to argue over the budget, the other five to explain and update on the department's progress, or lack thereof. And I can categorically state for the record that, with the exception of the first and latest, I'd come away from each one with a splitting headache and an overwhelming desire to commit mass murder.

The girls knew how much I enjoyed meeting with these committees, especially the once a year budgetary gala. They knew that I almost always returned home in a foul mood, unfit for the company of civilized human beings, so they'd gotten into the habit of feeding the kids early and hustling them off to bed, then hiding themselves away, leaving me to my own ends for the remainder of the evening.

Usually, after getting myself something to eat and killing half a bottle of vodka, my mood improved sufficiently for them to come looking for me. Generally after say, three or four hours of sitting in the den with all the lights off and vehemently cursing every politician who'd ever been born as well as their parents, who obviously weren't smart enough to drown the slimy little bastards at birth.

This most recent session, however, despite everything that had happened, had left me in surprisingly good spirits. Perhaps it was because, for the first time in years, I'd gotten to inflict some damage on them, rather than the other way around.

For the first time in ages, I felt as though I'd come out ahead of the game.

One senator dead, one resigned, an admitted traitor executed, and the remaining members of the sub-committee cowed to the point where I doubted any of them would ever have the balls to cross swords with me again.

All things considered, not too shabby.

What the hell was I waiting for? Why did I let them push me around for so long?

Rule number four: Don't ask questions you don't really want the answers to.

In boot camp, one of my senior DI's, a twenty year Master Sergeant by the name of Jerome Spitzer, had impressed me with his personal code of ethics. Four simple rules, he liked to say, had been the guiding principles for his life and career. 'Stick with them boys and girls and you'll never go far wrong.'

Rule 1: 'Never volunteer.' (There was a caveat to this rule, of course. It was okay to volunteer, as long as you were pretty damn sure you'd get more out of it than you'd have to put in. MSgt Spitzer was a practical man who hadn't achieved his exalted status by being a stickler for rules.)

Rule 2: 'Always cover your ass.' (After all, if you don't, who will? And if someone else will, it's never a good idea to rely on them always being there to do it.)

Rule 3: 'Never mess with another man's woman.' (Or, he amended, being an enlightened child of the times, another woman's man.)

Rule 4: 'Never ask questions you don't really want the answers to.' (Doing so would only make you more miserable than you probably already were.)

MSgt Jerome Spitzer was something of a philosopher, even though I doubt very much he ever thought of himself that way.

In my own fashion I'd adopted his code and tried to live my life by it, but with questionable results.

At one point or another over the years I'd managed to break each and every one, some more than once. Rule 4 was one of my favorites to smash into tiny, sharp edged little fragments, especially when talking to myself.

The hell with Rule 4. Talk to me.

You know why.

Don't play coy with me, just answer my question.

Fine, you asked. Because of ' them'.

I assume by 'them' you mean the girls.

Who the fuck else would I mean?

I've been letting the Congress push me around because of the girls?

Yup.

I don't...

Just think about it, would you? And it hasn't been just the politicians boy-o, its every-fuckin'-body.

So I thought about it; all the way out of Washington, over the Potomac to McLean where I picked up a metallic briefcase along with the five hundred thousand dollars I'd requested from the Black Ops slush fund which the Director was only too happy to give me, from there into Alexandria, down the freeway, on the off ramp and down the forested road that led to our house.

I was still thinking about it as I pulled up the drive and parked next to Lilly's mini-van.

I was thinking about it as I got out of the car, walked thru the three inches of snow that covered the walk leading to the front door, thought about it as I fumbled for my keys, unlocked the door and stepped inside. I hung my overcoat on the coat tree, went to the den and put the briefcase into the wall safe then headed into the kitchen to make myself something to eat.

I took my sandwich and coffee into the dining room, sat down and proceeded to eat and think some more.

I didn't much like the way my thoughts were going round and round in circles.

What's-a-matter sunshine? Two plus two not comin' out quite right?

There are times when it's best to just ignore the little voice in your head.

I heard footsteps out in the hallway leading to the dining room, so I dropped what was left of my sandwich back on the plate, sat back in my chair and picked up the coffee cup. I was taking a second long sip when they came filing in, Lilly in the lead, followed by Peggy and Izzy. They looked puzzled.

As they spread out to face me, Peggy's frowning continence slowly reformed into a pleased smile. Lilly and my sister soon followed her facial transformation.

"How are you Ike?" Lilly asked timidly.

I set the cup down next the plate and nodded my head.

"Fine. Actually, better than fine. I feel pretty good."

"Your meeting went well then?" Peggy asked, a slight furrow formed between her eyebrows.

"You could say that. I got everything I wanted from the tightwads. Yeah, I'd say it went quite well."

Izzy pursed her lips as if to speak, hesitated for a moment then continued.

"The news ... we heard that two people died."

I smiled. "Yeah, that too, but I'm afraid it was unavoidable."

"You?" Peggy inquired.

"Why don't you girls sit down and I'll answer all your questions, okay?"

They hurriedly pulled chairs out and sat down, eagerly looking at me, waiting with barely curbed impatience.

Normally I don't discuss my work with them. I've tried hard to keep a wall between my family and my work for the CIA. In part because they just don't have a need to know; a cliché phrase I know, and one that's seriously overused in government, but applicable none the less. And partly because I know what I do bothers them, especially Izzy, even if they never actually came out and said so.

I think I may have been badly mistaken on both counts.

"So, you heard on the news that two people died."

The three of them nodded, nearly in unison.

"And that Senator Gottschalk had resigned." Peggy hurried to add.

"All true." I told them.

"Why?" Lilly asked.

"Why did the two people die, or why did the Senator resign?" I retorted with a grin.

"Come on Ike, just tell us." Izzy insisted.

"Okay, sorry. Well, let's see ... I went in and told the committee that I wasn't happy working with them anymore and I handed in my resignation."

"You WHAT!" Peggy nearly screamed.

"I quit."

"You didn't?" Lilly demanded.

"Yep. I told them why I was shutting my department down, told them in no uncertain terms that most of it was their fault, and then I dumped my most recent spy squarely in their laps. Told them that if they weren't going to let me to do my job, they could bloody well do it themselves. They didn't like that option much."

"I don't suppose they would." Izzy muttered.

I nodded my agreement. "Then they started bargaining. What would it take for me to stay? So I gave them my list of demands: increase my budget, get rid of those damn restraining orders and leave me the hell alone so I could do my job."

"And they agreed?" Lilly's pulse had increased noticeably, as had Peggy and Izzy's. Their body temperature had gone up a bit as well. My smile became a little smug.

"Eventually. Except for Senator Gottschalk and one of her protégées. She wanted the committee to call in some shooters to kill me. I'm afraid I wasn't terribly diplomatic or kind while dealing with her. Never have liked that woman. She's been thorn in my side for years. So I made her resignation one of my demands."

"Wow." Izzy breathed out in a rush.

"So what about the two people who died?" Peggy persisted.

"Well, the Senators didn't quite give in at first. Gottschalk's protégée convinced the rest to call for an ATF hit squad, under the pretext of the spy I'd brought in to show them being armed and dangerous. They were going to have the ATF folks shoot me instead."

Lilly gave me an odd look, but remained silent. Peggy continued pressing. "So then what?"

I shrugged. "The committee stalled on meeting my demands long enough to get the shooters into the room with us. I figured out what they were doing and put a stop to it. In the process, Gottschalk's protégée was killed by me, the spy by the ATF, and afterwards the committee decided it would be in everyone's best interests to give me what I'd asked for. So Gottschalk resigned, I got what I wanted, along with four ATF shooters to go along with my five FBI guys."

I picked up my coffee cup and took another swallow.

"That's it? That's all that happened?" Izzy demanded.

"More or less." I said. "If you've got a few hours I could give you a complete, word for word replay, but that's pretty much what happened."

"You set them up." Lilly said breathlessly. "You never had any intention of resigning, did you?"

I grinned and sipped my coffee.

"You devious bastard." Peggy said admiringly.

"Why should they have all the fun?" I said, finishing the last of the coffee in my cup. I set it back down on the table. "So, apart from the news, how was your day? Anything interesting happen around here?"

They looked at me like I'd just sprouted gills and a tail.

"That's it? That's all you're going to tell us?" Izzy was incredulous.

"Sweetie, that's all that happened. Apart from that it was a damn dull day."

"You don't seem like you usually do after one of these things." Peggy said. Her frown deepened. "You're usually as grumpy as a bear with a bad tooth."

I smiled at them, feeling better and better by the second. Feeling more and more in control of my own life.

"What can I say? Generally speaking, things went just the way I expected them to. So why wouldn't I be in a good mood?"

I pushed my chair back from the table, stood up and stretched, flexing my back and shoulders. I stepped out and moved around next to where Izzy was sitting. Bending down I took her chin in the palm of my hand, gently turned her face towards me and pressed my lips to hers. I linked with her and quickly shot her an infinitesimal fragment of a spark, not into her inner ring, but simply let it go where it wanted to. Her eyes had begun to droop slightly, but as the spark hit, her eyes widened and the intensity of our kiss increased ten-fold.

I cut the link and pulled back, allowing just a little space between our lips. "Very nice. Very, very nice." I whispered before flicking my tongue out and teasing her lower lip.

I stood up and moved around behind my sister's chair to where Lilly sat eyeing me. I smiled, bent at the waist and met her parted lips with my own. Her hands came up, one on either side of my face, softly caressing my cheeks as our mouths said a silent hello. Linked and fired off another minuscule sparklet. Lilly moaned her passionate response into my mouth, thrusting her tongue in search of mine. I put my hands on her shoulders and slowly pushed us apart until only our noses were touching.

"Sweet as honey." I murmured, stroking her cheek with one finger. Then I cut the link.

I stood up, slipped around behind Lilly's chair and approached Peggy. She didn't wait for me to get there. In a flash she pulled her legs up under her and stood upright on the chair, her eyes level with mine. I reached out, put one hand around her back and pulled her towards me. Peggy's arms went around my neck and she attacked my lips with hers. We linked at almost the same instant, and as I sent a third burning fragment her way, it was met and passed by a soothing flow of contented delight that turned to bubbling happiness as the spark hit her.